This Bologna Brand Was Easily The Worst One We Tried

My bologna has a first name, and it's not D-I-E-T-Z. Its last name isn't W-A-T-S-O-N, either. For many of us, bologna has a wonderful, child-like charm to it. It elicits memories of the school cafeteria, where a bologna sandwich was paired with a cardboard milk carton or, better yet, slow Sunday mornings when your mom would fry up the sliced sausage to serve at the breakfast table. It's one of those foods that reminds us of simpler times, but if you're on the hunt for a succulent slice of nostalgia, there's one bologna brand you should avoid: Dietz & Watson.

In a recent Tasting Table taste test, we ranked the Dietz & Watson bologna as the worst option out of nine different store-bought picks. It was a certified flop. Reviewer Robin Miller noted that the flavor "wasn't that of treasured bologna." Good bologna is often sliced at about ¼ inch thick and comes with a mild smokiness, but the Dietz & Watson slices didn't meet these criteria. The problems revolved around its thin texture, strange flecks around the edges, and an unpleasant aftertaste, which Miller attributed to the mustard and onion powder add-ins.

Overall, the consensus was that if you're looking for something different and more artisanal, Dietz & Watson may be for you. But if you're hoping for a classic bologna experience, it's best to skip the brand in favor of something else — perhaps a brand like Oscar Meyer, Empire, or Whole Foods 365 beef bologna, which fared much better in the taste test.

Dietz & Watson says it makes its bologna in "old-world tradition" with a blend of both beef and pork, plus no artificial ingredients or fillers. It's evidently smoked for a smoky yet tangy flavor, and spices like mustard powder, onion powder, paprika, and sugar are thrown into the recipe. This combination of cooking methods and tastes clearly didn't fare well in our taste test. But other customers seem to think the brand's bologna has no taste at all.

On BJ's Wholesale Club's website – a major retailer for the Dietz & Watson deli brand — several shoppers called out the bologna for being flavorless. "Terrible, usually the deli meats are flavorful and fresh, this was tasteless," one reviewer said. Another noted, "This bologna was HORRIBLE. Weird consistency. NO real flavor. Oscar Meyer is 1000% better."

Perhaps D&W bologna is more of an acquired taste, though there are some out there who prefer its specialized style. In a review on the Meijer website, one customer praised its quality, noting that it was worth the price and yummier than Oscar Mayer. Others go so far as to say it's the best bologna out there and that it makes for great luncheon meat. Many people prefer to fry it. But it can also be thrown straight onto a sandwich, paired with crackers or eggs, or enjoyed on its own.